What happens as we investigate more and more? Do we tend to become more accepting of paranormal phenomena and claims of haunting? Do we get jaded and more dismissive?
No one, to my knowledge, has ever asked that question and backed it up with hard information.
In my case, I think (note: think) I have become more skeptical. Since I have nothing to measure this against but memory I can't state that as fact. Yet, thinking back a few years, I was much more open to many claims of phenomena. At one point I even believed the line about orbs quite a while back.
When I began actually investigating, I seemed to be a bit more eager to accept unusual events as paranormal. Now, it is hard to get me to budge off my "I don't know." platform.
Yet, how could we measure whether people are more or less skeptical as they go along? Would there be an overall trend or would it strictly be a case by case evolution with some going one way and some another?
What would be the point the technology folks would ask. The point, quite simply would be to help us understand the evolution of belief in real world situations. What happens to the "they'll believe anything" argument if we see that people become more skeptical and critical as they spend time in the field? What happens if we learn that people become more accepting of paranormal ideas as they work? Could it explain why older groups sometimes find so much more activity? Could the former explain why some older groups find much less?
Of course, the only way to test this would be to have completely green investigators and administer one of the tests before they began truly working with a group. Then another could be administered after 6 months and another at 1 year and compare the results. What happened during that time? Did their attitudes shift or remain the same? Which particular attitudes underwent shifts?
Just one more of those thoughts flitting about my head lately and one that I hope someone will be able to study one day. Maybe, I will be in a position to at some point.
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3 comments:
It's a very interesting question. Though I haven't taken diligent notes on my own opinions, I would have to say my thoughts haven't changed drastically. In the beginning, I was the "curious hypothetical believer". For years, I went about investigating locations and experiencing nothing. Then I had a few experiences that definitely swayed me toward believer. Still, I keep one hand grounded in reality while letting the other wander into undefined, supernatural territory.
In some ways, my thoughts have followed some key phrases from X Files: from "I want to believe" to "the truth is out there" to "trust no one". But does that mean I've grown weary and skeptical? Yes and no. While I still believe such phenomena is a real thing, I eliminate the illogical, preposterous, and absurd. I have that need to see and experience something myself to validate it. I keep an open mind while trying to balance belief and logic.
Of course, my mind could always change again. Though I'd rather not imagine a world without some mystery, supernatural elements, and fantasy. None of us want to face the idea that our lives could be for one purpose only: propagate and die.
Oh, and as for orbs (I almost forgot), I was doubtful from the beginning when I watched fellow investigators snapping pictures and could see particles of dust in the flash coinciding with the "orbs" they captured. I was a bit more hesitant with colored orbs, though, and some of them still make me wonder. But still, I avoid them just as much now as I did back then...
Good article.
For me, I have recently hit what I am calling a "paranormal crisis of faith". I have been an investigator for 4 years, been in 2 groups, traveled all over the country investigating, have hundreds of hours of audio and thousands of photos.
Overall, you can distill it down to 4 or 5 class "A" EVPs and maybe 3 or 4 decent photos. That's it for all my time and effort.
I know the paranormal can't be made to happen on command. But it does beg the question: What am I doing in such a low-success field?
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